“He lost his mind,” he told me. That’s what happened to him, when I asked about a mutual friend. It was somewhat blunt and to the point. Later I found it was more of less succuming to the debilitating effects of obssesive compulsive disorder. Lost his job as a minister because of it.
So at what point does these rituals become a disorder? Possibly when it starts interferring with everyday life. For example, all of us think about if we locked the door or turned off the stove when we leave our houses. I ponder about whether or not I closed the garage door. Sometimes I merely go back and check if I closed it. Deep down I know I closed it, but just to be sure I go back and check on occasion.
An OCD person would have to check it several times just to be sure. Contamination is another big fear of OCD people. Germs. Washing rituals. Overwhelming thoughts of fear and dread if things aren’t done properly.
A little bit of me says that one has to be slightly OCD in order to work my job, after all it does have to do with detail. And for the most part I’m concerned about the details. And unfortunately I’ve been known to take my work home with me, if not actually doing it, but playing out work scenerioes in my mind. I know it isn’t healthy, after all…all work and no play makes Jack Jeff a dull boy.
The good thing is that OCD can be treated, with meds and counseling. So there is hope for our mutual friend. He didn’t necessarily “loose his mind.” That’s an overused term anyways. I think he just had a temporary mental breakdown. I for one can understand what he might be feeling. And I want to wish him the best. After all, a mind is a terrible thing to waste.